Potential Murder Suspect
by JordanPhoenix
Summary: Daft but well-meaning single DILF Nick is at his wit's end about why BOTH formerly sweet Trucy AND PEARL have suddenly morphed into an inexplicable fit of Pardon My Sobbing! WHAT could be WORSE than the dueling cyclones of Nature's Fury arriving for the 1st time? An ill-timed visit from THE BUTZ, of course! Will Larry be able to help his pal or make things EVEN WORSE for them both?
_A/N This was my second entry of Phoenix's misadventures in fatherhood, aka JP's sadistic attempts at torturing the DILF disbarred defense attorney once more!_

 _Although Trucy is portrayed in the games as an amiable, low-maintenance teenager when we first meet her as a 15-year-old in Apollo Justice, I decided to have fun with some of the puberty struggles Nick may have encountered prior to that. For good measure, I decided to also throw Pearl into the mix, as in Dual Destinies, it's canon that Pearl and Trucy already had an established friendship. I suppose an alternative title to this could've been called_ _ **Dueling Cyclones! XD**_

 _The character of Tyler is an OC, a bartender who works with Nick at The Borscht Bowl (aka Turnabout Everlasting chapter 42 for those this looks familiar to, altered to fit for this one-shot).  
_

 _Enjoy!_

 _ **Cover Art by maesketch**_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright, Trucy Wright and Pearl Fey  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency_ _ **  
**_September 2, 2023 2:30 AM

He never saw it coming.

It was just a _movie_.

Phoenix was completely unprepared for the repercussions of _The Pursuit of Happyness_ from both Pearl, now 13, and 12-year-old Trucy that afternoon before he headed out to work that evening.

The Will Smith drama was one he thoroughly enjoyed, and so he'd ordered it on Netflix for his daughter and her "cousin." The online monthly subscription to unlimited movies and TV shows was _such_ a great concept his little girl had introduced him to! He'd figured he would just rent the DVD from the video rental place…until Trucy had reminded her not-so-tech-savvy father that those places _didn't exist_ anymore!

Pearl was staying over that weekend, which she tended to do once or twice a month when Maya was away on business, in this case, at a weekend conference somewhere in the remote deserts of New Mexico, where she'd warned him had weak cell and internet reception. At first she'd been fretful about her ward being in his care at a time when she would most likely be completely indisposed, but he'd assured the Kurain Master that all would be fine.

Pearl had stayed over many times since she and Trucy had met, and both girls were now old enough to stay alone without needing a babysitter. Maya's cousin also made a point to drop in on Maggey and Gumshoe whenever she was down in the city, so Phoenix knew if anything were to go awry while he was at work, the detective and his wife lived nearby and would be there at a moment's notice if needed.

Besides, his daughter was supposed to work at The Wonder Bar that evening. His assumption was that by the time he got home from work that night, both girls would have gone home with the Gumshoes, who rarely missed a show, and stayed over there for the night, then return back the next morning. Otherwise, he'd figured they'd both be in bed by then, since he often got back at nearly three in the morning.

He _really_ needed to stop assuming!

That night, Phoenix gotten home a bit earlier, about half-past two, as he'd gotten a ride home from Tyler. The bartender had asked if he could run in and use the bathroom, as well as say a quick hello to Pearl, whom he'd not seen in ages, on the off-chance she was still awake.

"I haven't seen Pearl in ages," Tyler was saying as they walked down the hall to Phoenix's place. "Tell her to stop in on the wife and I the next time she's down, we'd love to see her! Trucy too. We love both those girls – they're so sweet!"

"Yup, they're great," Phoenix agreed, putting his key into the lock. "Delightfully low-maintenance too, the both of them. I sure got lucky there! But we should keep it down…since Gumshoe didn't message me that they're staying at his place tonight, they're both here, but may already be in bed."

"No problem," his friend whispered as Phoenix quietly opened the door and flicked on the light.

Both men were completely unprepared for the astounding sight that greeted them.

Empty bowls of what looked like melted ice cream were laid on the floor, along with several empty bags of potato chips, soda cans…and crumped tissues.

In the sitting area of the office, instead of being in bed, both Trucy and Pearl were wide awake and sitting on the sofa in the office, in front of the small television set, legs stretched out onto the couch while sitting at opposite ends, with a blanket over both of their legs, and tissues clenched in each of their hands as they sobbed relentlessly at whatever was on the screen.

"What in the _world_?" Tyler gasped.

"Trucy, Pearls, are you alright?" Phoenix was alarmed.

Neither girl appeared to have taken notice of their presence just yet, they didn't pry their eyes off the television. Phoenix stared at them, completely flummoxed.

 _I rented them_ _ **The Pursuit of Happyness**_ _,_ he thought wildly, staring helplessly at the two overwrought girls. _Did I screw up and accidently order them_ _ **Bambi**_ _by mistake?_

That had to be the only explanation for both Pearl and Trucy's currently wailing disposition, in such a demonstrative, emotional fashion that it would have put even _Larry Butz_ to shame!

 _I don't get it. OK, fine, it is_ _ **kind of**_ _a sad movie,_ _ **somewhat**_ _… but it still had a great ending! What gives?_

"It's so heart-breaking, Pearly!" Trucy cried, the tears pouring down her cheeks in a never-ending stream. "That poor little boy and his daddy have no home!"

"They're s-sleeping in a b-bathroom!" Pearl wept, dabbing at her eyes with her soggy tissue. "It's so _unfair_!"

Phoenix looked back at Tyler, who was still standing behind him, speechless, his dark eyes wide with panic, before turning back to the two girls, at last finding his voice again.

"Um, Truce? Pearls? Are you guys alright?" He asked awkwardly.

Both girls lifted their gazes from the movie and he found himself affixed by two sets of red-rimmed eyes.

"Mr. Nick, why didn't you tell us this movie was so _sad_!" Pearl demanded, trying to contain her sobs, her gray-eyes looking at him accusingly.

Phoenix was flummoxed. "I, um…er…"

"Oh, hi, Mr. Tyler." Pearl at last took note of the young man now cowering behind Phoenix – a neat trick to achieve, as the bartender towered over him by about a goof half-foot – who desperately looked like he wished he could disappear.

"Hi Pearl," Tyler waved from behind Phoenix's back with a weak smile. "Hiya, Trucy."

"Hi Tyler." Trucy sniffled, dabbing at her eyes. "Pearly's right though Daddy! Why would you get us such a _depressing movie_ and not even _warn_ us?"

"That's _mean_ , Mr. Nick!" Pearl added, as indignantly as one possibly could muster while loudly blowing her nose to the tune of a one-note, honking trumpet.

"I – I… _Aye Yai Yai_ …" Phoenix was at a complete loss for words. "Um…sorry?"

"Oh Daddy!" Trucy whimpered suddenly, lurching off the couch and hurling herself at her father then, burying her head into his side and wrapping her arms around his waist. "That poor man in the movie is a _single Papa_ , just like you! He sacrificed so much for his son, like _you_ have for _me_!|" Her tiny body shook with sobs. "And I feel so bad! At least _he_ had a wife in the beginning… _you've_ never even gotten married or had your _own_ family, and it's all because of _me_! It's all my fault! _I ruined your life_! I- I'm so sorry!"

Phoenix looked helplessly down at the shaking mess that was his daughter, trying to speak soothingly and smooth her hair, when suddenly Pearl jumped up and buried her head against his other side.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Mr. Nick!" The spirit medium wept, throwing her arms around him as well. "You're not mean! Y- You're _wonderful_! You're the only father I've ever really known!"

"I love you, Daddy!" Trucy wept.

"I love you too, Mr. Nick!"

"Pearls…Trucy…I…" Phoenix shot a frantic glance at Tyler, who had stealthily been inching away and backing up towards the door this whole time. "Hey, where are _you_ going? I thought you needed to use the bathroom!"

"Um, I've decided I don't need to go _that_ badly…" his friend mumbled, pointedly ignoring the pleading look in Phoenix's eyes. "And by the way, I have a wife and _two_ toddler daughters at home, so I _will_ have _my due time_ to be _exactly_ where _you_ are right now…in about a _decade_! So, for this reason alone, I have _no_ qualms _whatsoever_ about saying…good-night, bud! And good luck! _You're going to need it_! See ya at work tomorrow!"

With that, Tyler bolted from the office, not even pausing to shut the door behind him, leaving a hapless Phoenix standing there, alone, alarmed, and defenselessly sandwiched between two inexplicably hysterical adolescent girls, who had gone from being _mad_ at him to _loving_ him…within the course of _two minutes_! He silently cursed and envied his friend for his easy, hasty exit.

 _Tyler you bum! You_ _ **suck**_ _! A_ _ **real**_ _friend would stuck around…or at least offered to take me_ _ **with**_ _him!_

Phoenix had never felt more powerless …or confused in his entire life. Worst of all, he had no inkling about what could have possibly caused this insane situation, or how to handle it. _Of all the blasted times_ for Maya to be unreachable… what on earth was he to going to do _now_?!

He awkwardly patted both girls on their heads and stifled a sigh of resignation. It was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Larry Butz  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency_ _ **  
**_September 2, 2023 11:30 AM

"Pearls? Truce? I'm back from the store!" Phoenix called, setting the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter.

No answer.

"Baby girl, I got that ice-cream you wanted!" He busied himself putting away the food his daughter and Pearl had requested for from the store – various and copious amounts of chocolate bars, brownies, ramen noodles, more potato chips, _and_ more soda. He thought he'd bought enough treats and munchies for the _three_ of them to at _least_ last them the whole weekend, but it appeared a tapeworm had overcome both Pearl and Trucy the night before, and they had gone through _everything_ in the place! Old Mother Hubbard had probably had less barren cupboards!

Also, he'd needed to buy several more boxes of _tissues_. By the time he'd comforted and quieted down the two girls and sent them to bed, it had been nearly four in the morning, and there hadn't been a single-ply left in house.

"You got my ice-cream, Daddy?" Trucy plodded into the room, still in her pajamas, looking like something the cat had dragged in. "Thanks so much. Pearly and I are absolutely _starved_!"

Phoenix stared at the bottomless pit that used to be his daughter incredulously.

 _How can they still be hungry when they ate an entire convenience store's worth of junk not even eight hours ago?! I just don't get_ _ **how in God's name**_ _two tiny girls could put away more food than the entire Oakland Raiders Football team?! I don't care if one of them_ _ **is**_ _the gluttonous Maya Fey's cousin!_

"I ordered some pizza for lunch before I stepped out, Truce." Phoenix smiled indulgently and ruffled Trucy's hair. "It should be here soon."

Trucy had just grabbed two bowls and went to scoop some out when she suddenly let out an outraged shriek at such a high decibel, he was certain only _dogs_ would be able to hear it!

" _Daddy_!" She howled, slamming the carton down on the counter in a manner not at all dissimilar to her father's courtroom desk poundings. "How could you _do_ this to me?"

"What's wrong baby girl?" Phoenix fretted, rushing over to her side, abandoning the coffee he'd been about to pour for himself. "What did I do wrong?"

"I asked you for chocolate-chip _mint_ ice-cream!" Was the anguished reply. "And you got me just plain chocolate-chip ice-cream!"

"I'm sorry, Truce. But they were out of the mint chocolate-chip kind. I thought this one would be just as good…"

"Daddy, you should _know_ I hate vanilla chocolate chip!" Without warning, Trucy burst into tears. "After all this time, you still don't even _know_ _your_ _**own daughter**_!"

Phoenix cast a surreptitious glance at the garbage pail by his feet, which contained not one, but _two_ empty tubs of said despised chocolate-chip vanilla Ben  & Jerry's, which belied this latest evidence, but wisely kept his peace.

Instead, he looked wearily at this demonic entity that seemed to have taken over his sweet little girl, wondering if it was at all possible she was somehow being invaded by the malevolent spirit of his ex-girlfriend, Dahlia Hawthorne!

"Wah! You don't love me!" Trucy was really getting worked up now, her tiny face drenched with tears. "Admit it, Daddy, you _hate_ me! Why _else_ would you _do_ this to me?"

"Truce, don't be ridiculous! _Please_ stop crying…Of course I love you!" Phoenix protested helplessly, unsure about what to say or do to diffuse the nuclear-style explosion he had unwittingly detonated. He was right back to where he'd been last night…and just as flummoxed! He couldn't see how the situation could possibly get _any worse_.

At that moment there was a knock at the front door.

"Hey Nick, open up! Did you order pizza?" The unmistakable sound of Larry Butz's voice could be heard on the other side of the door.

Phoenix couldn't stifle the groan that emitted from his lips this time.

 _Of course…._

"I'll get the door, Mr. Nick," called Pearl, as Phoenix put his arms around the still-crying Trucy, who refused to be consoled despite his pleas to calm down.

"Thanks, Pearls!" He hollered across the apartment, still trying to somehow mollify his weepy daughter, while simultaneously feeling relieved that of the two of them, at least Maya's cousin sounded completely normal this morning.

He placed his hands on Trucy's shoulders and looked her squarely in the eye.

"Truce, come on, I'm sorry! I will go check the other grocery store for your ice-cream after we have some pizza, alright? I was just in a rush to get back before the delivery guy got here so I could pay him. Please don't be so sad. You know I love you, right?"

"OK, Daddy," she sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me. I woke up this morning with such a bad headache! And I don't know why! Last night I couldn't even go to work because my back was aching so badly…I couldn't even go to work!"

"You didn't go to work?" Phoenix was genuinely alarmed now. "Your back was aching? Truce, do you think you're getting sick or something? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I had some ice-cream and laid back on the sofa, and I felt better after a little while. I just thought maybe I'd caught a trace of whatever Pearly had. She said she felt some kind of stomach and back pains last night too."

 _Pearls_ too? Oh great. Were _both_ his girls coming down with something? It sounded contagious! Phoenix clapped a hand to his head. Good grief, was _he_ going to be next? _He_ couldn't afford to miss work! But who would want to hear the ear-grating caterwauling of a sick pianist with a frog in his throat?!

"Hey, Trucy doll! Dry those tears, Uncle Larry's here!" Larry walked into the kitchen, Pearl in tow, and set down the large, flat box onto the counter.

Since Phoenix's disbarring, Larry had been off on various art tours which took him to parts of Europe, Asia and even Africa for the most part. He'd only been in LA for perhaps a month in total these past four years, but had kept in touch with Phoenix, never one to forsake his childhood friend, for which he supposed he was grateful.

The world-class children's book illustrator, who still went by the professional name of Laurice Deauxnim in honor of his late mentor, Elise Deauxnim (the pseudonym Misty Fey had been going by before she'd passed), looked the same as ever, goofy grin in place over his neatly trimmed goatee, and spiky brown hair sitting underneath his orange artist beret, which had accompanied his monkey-emblemed, pink sweater ensemble ever since he'd taken up the artist path in life four years prior.

 _There is that one saving grace about the Butz_ , Phoenix thought now, flashing his unexpected visitor a wry smile. _He's the_ _ **only**_ _one who doesn't bust my chops about_ _ **my**_ _hat, since he insists on wearing_ _ **his**_ _ridiculous artist cap on his head_ _ **everywhere**_ _he goes!_

"Hi Larry." For once, Phoenix was grateful for the distraction his friend's presence. Trucy was always on her best behavior around company. "This is a surprise. I haven't seen you since in ages!"

"How could I not drop in on my best friend when I'm in town?" Larry grinned. "By the way Nick, I paid the pizza guy for you."

 _Well, that was nice of him!_ Phoenix thought, taken aback, but touched by his friend's unexpected generosity.

"You owe me twenty bucks." Larry was already opening up the box and about to help himself to a slice, but Phoenix snapped the lid down on his fingers.

"Sorry Larry, I've got _two very hungry_ mouths to feed," he said curtly, hardly suppressing the urge to roll his eyes as he tersely handed him the money. "Girls, dig in!"

 _Jeez, for all the times I've saved his sorry ass in court,_ _ **pro bono**_ _, you'd think the lousy cheapskate wouldn't nickel and dime me over a lousy pizza!_

"But you've got an extra-large there!" Larry whined, before he turned to Trucy, who had slapped two slices together and was about take a huge bite. He bent down over Trucy and playfully tapped her nose. "Hey Truce, long time no see! Just look at you now! You've gotten so big!"

" _Big_?!" Trucy screeched, as though mortally wounded. She dropped the slices back onto her plate and looked at Larry with stormy blue eyes. "What does that mean? Are you saying I look _fat_ or something Uncle Larry?"

Phoenix sighed. _Nice going Butz, getting her all riled up again…_

" _Fat_! N –no! Of course not!" Larry stammered nervously, backing away from the fuming girl. "I just meant you've grown so much since the last time I saw you!" He looked pleadingly at Pearl. "You know what I mean… _both_ of you do!"

"Hey, that's so mean, Mr. Larry! Are you saying _I_ look _fat_ now, too?" Pearl burst into impromptu tears.

"You _stink_! You made my cousin cry!" Without warning, Trucy suddenly did a rapid spinning kick, which, since he was still bent over her, caught him square in the mid-section. Larry tumbled backward to the ground, completely winded.

Phoenix knew both girls had gotten a couple of self-defense lessons from Tyler's former MMA fighter wife, Sasha, a few years ago, but this was _the first time_ he'd ever _seen_ his daughter make someone a _victim_ with her _acquired skills_! He barely stifled a chuckle at the sight of his friend rolling on the ground as he clutched his stomach while wheezing dramatically.

 _Oh, knock it off you wimp! Luckily for you, Trucy was only wearing socks instead of her usual hard-toed magician boots!_

"I'm sorry, Larry," he apologized, hoping he sounded sincere. "I really have to talk to Sasha, my buddy's wife, about teaching the girls those MMA moves…how they're _not to be used_ unless in _extreme_ situations!"

"I'm sorry, Uncle Larry!" Trucy was crying too now. "I – I don't know what came over me!"

"He called you and me _fat_ , that's what happened!" Pearl had recovered from her tears and stomped over to Larry, reaching down and whacking at him with her tiny fingers. "You horrible, big ol' _meanie_!"

"What the hell! No I didn't! Stop it, Pearl!" Larry complained, putting his arms over his head in an unsuccessful effort to stop the infamous round of Fey slaps and smacks. "Ouch! That _hurts_!"

Phoenix couldn't help it, he actually snorted slightly before he pretended to be a responsible adult and went and plucked Pearl away from Larry, finally allowing him to rise up again.

"See, it's not so funny when _you're_ the one on the _receiving_ end of those Fey fists of fury, now, is it?" He snickered.

Larry scowled at him before turning to the sullen girls.

"Trucy, Pearl, I'm sorry if I unintentionally hurt your feelings. I haven't seen you two in ages, and what I _should_ have said was you've both gotten so much taller since I saw you last. Not bigger as in fat." He looked hopefully at the two. "So, are we friends again?"

"Of course we are, Uncle Larry!" Trucy beamed and wrapped her arms around him in a big hug.

"We forgive you, Mr. Larry!" Pearl bounced over and hugged him too.

Phoenix stared at this whole scene in disbelief, wondering if he had unwittingly entered some sort of alternate dimension. How the _hell_ had the girls gone and done a complete 180 degree _turnabout_ like that, from _violent, teary rage_ to _hugs_ , within the blink of an eye?! And without any preamble?!

 _Are their heads going to start spinning soon?!_

Right on cue, Trucy suddenly yanked herself away from Larry and looked pained. "Oh no," she groaned, clutching her stomach. "I don't feel so good. I think I need to …" She took a few shallow, ragged, breaths, then made an impromptu bolt towards the bathroom.

"Trucy!" Phoenix cried. "Are you alright?"

Trucy didn't reply, but they all heard her moaning softly from behind the closed door.

"Trucy!" Phoenix went and rapped on the door. "Baby girl, talk to me! Are you OK? I'm really worried!"

"Um, let me try, Mr. Nick," Pearl offered after a few more moments went by and the knob didn't turn. She rapped on the door. "Trucy, it's me, Pearly. Let me in, please?"

The door opened a crack, and Pearl stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind her.

Phoenix cast a worried glance back at Larry, taking off his hat and running both his hands through his hair in agitation.

"God-dammit! I don't know what's gotten into them, Larry! I wish I knew how to help…but I don't know what's wrong with either girl…what's causing this sudden, _Exorcist style_ bi-polar disorder in both of them!"

"Are you serious Nick? You haven't figured it out?" Larry laughed. "Man, I never thought the day would come when I knew more about women than you did! Aren't you supposed to be a _dad_ or something?"

"Trucy hardly came with a manual, you know!" Phoenix glared at him. "And I can't get hold of … _Pearls' guardian_ , who's off in the middle of the desert somewhere to consult on this matter, so if you have any idea about the cause of what's made my little girl turn into this mini… _She Devil_ , please enlighten me!"

"A Potential Murder Suspect, you mean?" Larry derided, his lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"What? Larry, I'm sorry she kicked you but I swear to you, she wasn't trying to actually _murder_ you with that move! Her and Pearls are very close you see, and she was merely being protective of her…"

"No, no, Nick! That's not what I meant! Don't you _get_ it?" Larry looked at him with disgust. "Man, are you ever slow! I've had a million girlfriends go through these mood swings…on a _monthly_ basis, if you catch my drift?"

Phoenix looked at him in horror. "You don't mean…"

"Yup, yup. Potential. Murder. Suspect. Take the first letter of each of those words, Nick, and what do you get? P – M –"

"For the love of God, _don't say it_!" Phoenix's eyes widened in alarm and he clapped a hand over his friend's mouth and looked nervously at the still closed bathroom door. "The last time I uttered those letters in relation to a female I wound up wearing the remains of her martini!"

Larry jerked his head away from Phoenix's palm and sniggered. "That's because you used it inappropriately, when it wasn't even the case, and in mixed company….in public! But trust me on this one."

"You could be wrong! Maybe she's not being herself because she's unwell! Trucy told me she's been feeling sick…headachy, and body ache…and Pearls as well…"

" _Both_ of them?!" Larry shuddered. "Talk about your double trouble!"

" _Why_ is this happening to me?!" Phoenix cried. "I don't know what to do, do you?"

"Well, you could…"

Just then, the bathroom door opened, and two sets of eyes, one blue, and one grey, peeked at the men timidly, both with identical expressions on their little faces. Pure panic.

"Daddy!"

"Mr. Nick!"

"Trucy, Pearls…what is it? What's wrong?" Phoenix asked, his voice filled with love and concern. "Talk to me!"

"I can't tell you," Trucy whispered, her gaze on the ground. Pearl's eyes remained on the ground.

"Trucy, I'm your _father_!" He insisted. "You should be able to tell me anything!"

Trucy looked up at him them, and she then she squeezed her eyes tightly shut before she blurted out the words before she lost her nerve. "I think I just got my period."

Pearl's lip quivered. "I think I just did too!"

Phoenix looked up towards the ceiling.

 _Oh jeez, I can actually_ _ **hear**_ _God laughing at me…  
_

* * *

 _ **Phoenix Wright and Maggey Gumshoe  
**_ _Wright Talent Agency_ _ **  
**_September 2, 2023 12:30 PM

Maggey arrived exactly twenty minutes after a frantic Phoenix had called her, armed with what looked like an overflowing diaper bag of products which she dropped onto the floor as the overwhelmed man lurched himself at her and wrapped his arms around her in a nearly suffocating hug.

"You're an angel, Maggey!" He cried, nearly lifting the petite brunette off her feet with the sheer force of relief. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come!"

"Neither do I. Good thing Dick was home to watch Gordy," Maggey replied dryly, walking over to the couch where the two girls were sitting exactly as they'd been the night before, with their legs propped up on it and a blanket covering their laps. "I heard these awful, loud yowls when you called me…are they poor dears in that much pain?"

"That was _me_!" Larry grumbled, waving at Maggey from his seated position at the conference table in the corner. "Nick wouldn't let me peel out of here, so he forced me to stay here and endure his plight with him till you got here, and grabbed me really tightly by the back of my sweater, which nearly choked me in my throat – to keep me from going anywhere – those sounds were _me_ gasping for _air_!" He glared at Phoenix, who flashed him a contemptuous one right back. "Such violence in this Wright household! I can _see_ where your kid gets it from!"

"A _true_ pal wouldn't have tried to bolt when things got tough, and would have _wanted_ to stay and be supportive after all the times I've kept his sorry ass out of jail!" Phoenix retorted. "And for the millionth time, Larry, Trucy and Pearl learned those self-defense martial arts moves from Sasha, _not me_!"

"A _truer_ pal wouldn't have forced me to have to stay and deal with such a…embarrassing situation!"

" _Objection_!"

Both men started, unprepared for the loud shout the came from the normally mild-mannered woman Maggey looked startled at the volume of her tone, and grinned sheepishly.

"Wow, I've always wanted to do that!" She giggled, before regaining her composure and subjecting both of them to a deathly glare while putting her hands on her hips. "But seriously, both of you, knock it off! I can't even choose sides here, because all this is complete and utter flumadiddle! Not to mention that you're _both_ acting like _immature, blathering idiots_!"

Phoenix and Larry both looked at the ground, shame-faced.

"Sorry," they mumbled in unison.

"Now, tell me." Maggey was in full take charge mode. "Phoenix, did you find a hot water bottle and heating pad for Pearl's back and Trucy's abdomen, like I told you to?"

"We only had one heating pad," Phoenix explained. "And I gave it to Pearls, and she said it's making her feel a bit better. But we didn't have a water bottle…"

"Then what on earth is Trucy holding on her stomach under that afghan?" Maggey demanded.

"Hi Aunt Maggey!" Trucy called sunnily. "Daddy got creative and poured boiling water into a Ziploc bag, then put them into my magic panties as a makeshift water bottle to put on my tummy! It's helping a lot!"

Maggey looked back at the blushing Phoenix. "That's pretty creative, Papa." There was a note of admiration in her tone. "Good thinking."

"Thanks," he grinned sheepishly. "Also, we um…didn't have anything for…you know. So…" He leaned closer and whispered in Maggey's ear. "I told them to use a clean washcloth in the meantime to tide them over."

"Whatever you lack in common sense sometimes, Phoenix, you more than make up for in creativity." Maggey grinned. "Good call. But I can take over from here." She grabbed her bag and brought it over to the seating area, then proceeded to dump out the arsenal of feminine products in there onto the coffee table.

"OK girls, listen up!" She announced brusquely. "Never fear, Aunt Maggey is here!"

"Well…since you're here now, I can leave right?" Larry asked hopefully, already inching his way to the door.

"Yeah, I can go and get Trucy that right flavor of ice cream now that we've got everything under the control of your capable hands, right, Maggey?" Phoenix was already shuffling after his friend. "So we are going to leave you ladies to um…figure out your…situation…"

"You're not going anywhere, Phoenix Wright!" Maggey snapped, sounding every bit the authoritative police officer she'd once been. "This is your daughter, and you are her father, and you need to know what do when this situation occurs again in another 30 days or so! Because I may not always be around to make house calls!"

"Yeah, Nick!" Larry's tone was smug as he reached for the doorknob. "It's your job to stick around and be there for your kid!"

"You're not going anywhere either, Larry Butz!" Maggey commanded, glowering at him. "You come back here and sit your bony ass down, too! You aren't pretty enough to keep on being this damn obtuse, and someday, God willing, there _may_ be a woman you meet who can _tolerate_ your ridiculous self and decides, against her better judgement, to _procreate_ with you, and you may _also_ have a daughter someday!"

 _God forbid_ …Phoenix thought, suppressing a shiver at the thought of Larry producing offspring.

Larry slunk over the sofa area, head hanging. He looked with interest at the dozen different packages and boxes scattered about.

"Extra-long?" He read. "With wings? What the hell, these things make you fly?"

Maggey gave a long-suffering sigh, and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

"Larry Butz, _you're_ the reason we have warning labels on everything!" She exclaimed. "I'm not even sure if I ought to dignify that query with a response!"

"Sorry if it was a stupid question…" Larry's face was red.

"There's no such thing as stupid questions, just stupid people!" Maggey muttered, almost to herself, then shot him a disgusted look. Then she turned to the girls and Phoenix. "Alright, you guys, listen up and pay attention. I can only _explain_ it all to you but I can't _understand_ it for you." She shot Phoenix a mischievous smile. "That second part was mostly for Mr. Wright here."

Phoenix gave a wry grin, and Trucy and Pearl both giggled as they listened intently to Maggey's instructions. Then, after a few moments, both girls excused themselves, now armed with the appropriate products, as they went to tend to the matters at hand.

"Wow, that's a relief!" Phoenix exclaimed, dropping back onto the couch with a look of visible relief on his face. "I know you wanted me to stick around so I'd know what to pick up for Trucy going forward Maggey, but it looks like you brought me a _lifetime_ supply here! There's a drug store variety _and_ amount of feminine products here…will you even have anything left for yourself? Why so much stuff?"

"Since we have a few extra bucks now, Dick discovered the joys of Costco Wholesale." Maggey shrugged. "We buy everything in bulk. This stuff is yours to keep – I imagine this stash should last Trucy a good six months, easy."

"Oh gosh…Maggey…you're the best. I don't know how to thank you," Phoenix said quietly. "I am so lucky and grateful to have you and your husband as friends."

"That little girl, is so incredibly lucky _and blessed_ to have you for a father, Phoenix Wright." Maggey said softly, her eyes glowing with affection and pride. "It takes a strong man to accept someone else's children, and step up to the plate another man left on the table."

Phoenix blushed at the praise, and Larry grinned as he clapped his old friend on the back.

"Yup, Nick here is slowly but surely nailing this whole fatherhood thing for sure, Mags," He agreed. "But there's just one thing I can't figure out about what happened here! I mean…both girls…at the same time…I mean, ugh, what the hell man, do they _give it to each other_ somehow or something?!"

Phoenix just looked at his friend with an expression of undisguised incredulity, but Maggey actually gave him the mother of all withering looks.

"I do declare, Larry Butz!" She proclaimed. "As of this day, it is now _official._ You are _…_ as bright as a black hole, _and_ twice as dense!"

* * *

 _ **Miles Edgeworth**_  
 _Presidential Suite, Lan Kwai Fong Palace Hotel_  
 _Zheng Fa_  
September 3, 2023 6:30 AM

Alone in his study area, Miles finished reading Phoenix's email, and upon seeing Maggey's last line of dialogue to Butz, (a thought which he _himself_ had not-so-secretly shared for _many, many_ years!) let out a loud shout of uncharacteristic laughter.

Over the years, while he'd been doing his investigations overseas, his best friend had ensured Miles was _never_ in the dark about _anything_ whatsoever in his life. In fact, Phoenix plied him with almost too _much_ information now, keeping him abreast of all his regular comings and goings, milestones and developments in him and Trucy's lives. Miles would never complain though…as Phoenix's emails were always so well-worded and intricately detailed, he almost felt as if he were there in heart of the action alongside his friend's in LA, instead of feeling forlorn that it had been four years since he'd laid eyes on any of them.

He grinned to himself as he re-read the last few lines, still chuckling to himself about how panicked and hopeless Phoenix must have felt over dealing with Mother Nature's first impromptu visit to his daughter. It was pure comedic gold indeed, and he was happy to have been kept in the loop, even it was something as seemingly trite as Trucy's first bout of Pardon My Sobbing.

"Miles!" Franziska called from the bedroom, her voice harsh. "Whatever are you laughing at right now, you foolish fool! You're supposed to be packing and getting ready for our trip to Borginia!"

 _Dammit woman, we don't leave for another_ _ **fortnight!**_ He yearned to shout back, but wisely opted to keep mum. After all, unlike his best friend, _he_ had had _many_ years of experience dealing with these matters, and knowing the best way of handling them.

So rather than uttering an angry retort, instead he shut down his laptop and gave a deep, long-suffering sigh, before taking a deep breath and heading over to join his fiancée in their chambers.

It was _his_ turn now to deal with his own case of Potential Murder Suspect, it would seem…


End file.
